Railway switch apparatus



July 14, 1931. 1 T. MCGARRY 1,814,323

RAILWAY SWITCH APPARATUS Filed 0G13. 4,'1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 kD m INVvENTOR K BY .Z`

` ATTORNEY July 14, 1931. J. T. MCGARRY RAILWAY SWJTCH APPARATUS Filed 0G15. 4, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR TTORNEY Patented July 14, 1931 JOI-IN T. MCGARRY, OF CINCINNATI, OI-IIO RAILWAY SWITCH APPARATUS Application filed October 4, 1930. Serial No. `486,425. y

My invention relates to improvements in railway switch apparatus. One of its objects is to provide improved switch apparatus whereby either automatic or breakable switch apparatus is reliably operated to throw the switch points in one direction equally as well as in the other direction. Another object is to provide means whereby the switch point connecting bar and the V link connecting said bar with the switch stand are laterally supported and enabled to reliably and effectively exert thrusts upon the switch stand members. Another object is to provide improved means to rel'sist and prevent deflection or deformation of the switch points out of their normal position. Another object is to insure operation of automatic switch stand apparatus when applied thereto, and to insure 203 breaking of the breakable member when applied to breakable switch stand apparatus. My invention also comprises certain details of form and arrangement, and combination of components, all of which will be fully set forth in the description of the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. l is a plan of a switch and switch standY embodying my improvements.

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail of a portion lof the apparatus shown in Fig. l being taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail taken on 3 3 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail taken on line 3514-4 of Fig 6.

Fig. 5 is a cross section taken through a switch as heretofore employed without my improvements, and indicating the action of the wheels lupon the switch apparatus in 40'forcing the switch.

Fig. 6 is a section similar to Fig. 5 with my improvements applied, and indicating line the effect of forcing the switch, taken onl vline 6 6 of Fig.l.

One type of switch apparatus, is generally termed an automatic switch, and is provided with means whereby, when the wheels of the rolling'stock are inadvertently or designedly run through the switch in a re- 502 '-verse direction to that for which the switch is set, will automatically yield to a pull or a thrust upon the switch stand members and permit the switch to be automatically thrown to and latched in its opposite position. `Another type of switch apparatus is generally termed a breakable switch, and

is provided with means whereby, when the wheels of the rolling stock are inadvertently ru'n through the switch in a reverse direction will 4serve to break or bend some minor portion of the apparatus, the switch standcrank or a breakable member between the hand actuated lever and the crank shaft for instance, which is readily replaceable at relatively small expense, and thereby permit the switch points to move to a new position to allowthe rolling stock to pass, without serious injury to the switch or switch stand.

In both the automatic and the breakable,

to automatically throw the switch stand apparatus in the automatic apparatus, or to break or bend a connecting member, and thereby release the switch points in the breakable type of apparatus.

In practice heretofore it that when the position of the'switch points is such that a pull isexerted upon the conhas been' found necting bar and link, the operation is uniformly reliable, and serves to throw the` automatic switch apparatus, or to break the breakable member of the breakable vtype of apparatus. In this instance the flanges of the approaching wheels of the rolling stock enter a converging guideway, between one main rail and one switch point so asv to exert pressure from the flange ofV one wheel against the side of the switch point and exert a direct or lineal pull' through the switch point connecting bar and the link upon the switch stand crank, and the automatically yielding member, or upon the breakable member, free from any tendency to buckle or deform or dist tion members.

ort these connec- When however the switch points are in such position that the entering flanges of the wheels of the rolling stock exert a thrust upon the switch stand crank and the automatic switch stand members, or the breakable member, the operation of the wheel flanges upon the switch points, and the operation Voi the switch point connecting bar, or head rod, and the link connecting said bar with the switch stand apparatus are greatly complicated, so as to result in the switch point being deiiected out of its normal position, and the connecting bar and connecting link being deflected out of their normal position to such an Aextent as to fail to throw the automatic -switch, apparatus, or to 'tail to break the brea'kable member and free the switch points from strain to permit the rolling stock to pass. Thus when the switch points and switch apparatus are 'subjected to thrust strains, in a large percentage of instances, they fail to function properly and normally, thereby either derailing the rolling stock,or seriously injuring the switch points and switch stand apparatus and connecting members. y improved combination of apparatus is designed to Vrender automatic and breakable switch apparatus equally eiiicient and reliable 'when forced in either direction.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one embodiment of my invention, in which 15 and 16 represent the main rails and 17 and A18 represent the 'movable switch points', which are connected together by connecting bars or head Vrod 19 and a connecting bar 2O to cause the switch points to move from one position to another as a unit. The main rails and switch points are supported in the usual' manner Vby metal pla'tes 21 resting upon wooden ties 22. A switch stand 23 of the automatic or breakable type is represented conventionally in Fig. 1, being provided with a hand actuating lever 24, adaptedjto be latched at opposite limits of its throw against movement in the 4opposite direction; and provided with a crank arm 25, to which one end of the lconnecting Ilink 26 is vpivotally attached, while the opposite end of the link 26 is pi'votally attached to one end of the connecting bar 19. In Fig. 1, I

have illustrated in dotted lines at 28 one axle 'and pair of :flanged wheels and at 29 another position of said axle and pair of ianged wheels entering or traveling from right to 4left to force the switch by applying a thrust strain upon the connecting bar 19, thelink 26, cran-k 25 and crank shaft 30, while the hand lever 24 remains latched rigidly by -one of the latch members 45 against movement under such strain. In the position 28V of the wheels it will be'noted .that there is some space or play between the wheel flanges and the vside faces of the vrail 1G and switch point 17, while in the position 29 of the wheels, the wheel Hanges are crowding against the side faces of the rail 16 and the switch point 17, tending to crowd the switch points to the opposite extremity of their movement, and placing a thrust strain upon the connecting bar 19, the link 26 and the crank arm 25 and crank shaft 30, and upon any automatically movable member or breakable member adapted to relieve such thrust strain.

As heretofore practiced, and as illustrated in Fig. 5, the thrust of the wheel flanges upon the-switch points is in the first instance resisted to a certain extent at the automatically movable member or at the breakable joint 32 indicated in Fig. 5, which results in the switch point 17l being tilted, or deflected from its normal vposition as indicated inV dotted lines in Fig. 5, which alsogtends to depressthe end of connecting bar 19, which is pivotally attached toA the link 26, and also the end of the link 26 which is attached to the connecting bar 19, from their normal full line position downwardly as indicated in Fig. 5 in dotted lines, thereby preventing suiicient direct strain being applied to the automatically movable member or to the breakable member 32, to actuate said automatically movable member, or

to fracture said breakable member at 32 atv the proper stage of the operation, and before the wheels have advanced too far upon the points, so as to permanently deform the points and to apply weight upon the unsupported narrow ends of the pointstorender the points immovable and inoperative. The connecting bar 19 and link 26 are also liable to be deflected in a horizontal direction. as well as in the vertical direction indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5 to thereby render the switch apparatus inoperative. l Y.

I jhave discovered thatby introducing a supporting member i-nto the combination, whereby the connecting bar 19 and link 26 are suitably supported Aand guided at or adjacent to where the connecting `bar 19 passes un-derthe rail 15, the connecting bar 19 and link 26 are prevented from being re- Elected from i -their normal positions, and that the connecting bar 19 is enabled to react upon and strengthen the switch point 17 in a manner to prevent the wheel flange from deflecting the switch point 17 from its normal position, and that the switch point 17, the connecting bar 19, and the Ilin-k 26, a-re thereupon enabled to sustain any thrust strain put upon them to a suiicient extent to insure a normal `and reliable operation of the automatically movable member., or'to reliably insure the breaking of the breakable member, and the release of the switch points from the thrust exerted thereon by the wheel flanges at the proper in-te-r- "type, a connecting bar operatively connectupon the unsupportedn narrow end of the switch point to injure the switch point or render it immovable.

In Figs. 2, 3, 4land 6 I have illustrated a guiding and supporting member 34, attached rigidly to the rail 15, which I have found to be suitable and effective for supporting and guiding the connecting bar 19, the link 26 and the switch point 17, and for effectively transmitting a thrust strain through said members to an automatically movable member or a breakable member, to release the switch points from strain at an early stage in the operation of throwing or forcing the switch. The supporting member 34 is provided with a cross bar 35 to enter between the head 35 and base flange 36 of the rail 15, and to be held rigidly in place by means of one or more bolts 37 passing through said cross bar 35 and the web 38 of the rail to hold the cross bar 35 against the side of the web 38. The supporting member 34 is provided with an eye l() through which the connecting bar 19 passes, and by which the connecting bar 19 and the link 26'are prevented from being deflected laterally out of alignment in any direction, and are held in position to properly transmit a thrust strain. The member 34- is also provided with a foot plate, extending beneath the rail 15, and beneath the switch point 17, to support the connecting bar 19 close to the point where the switch point 17 is attached to the bar 19, to thereby strength- Jen the switch point 17 and prevent the bar la switch stand of the automatic or breakable type, a connecting bar operatively connecting the movable switch members together, means operatively connecting said connecting bar with said switch stand, and a guiding and supporting member adapted to guide and support said connecting bar adjacent to one of the movable switch members.

2. In combination with a railway switch, a switch stand of the automatic or breakable ing the movable switch members together, a link operatively connecting said connecting bar with said switch stand to enable the movable switch members to be actuated manually through said switch stand, and to permembers to a yieldable member of said switch stand, and a guiding and supporting bar located adjacent to the union of said connecting members with one of the said movable switch members adapted to support said movable switch member against deflection from its normal position and to support said connecting bar against deflection laterally from its normal position when subjected to thrust strains due to the switch being forced.

3. In combination with a railway switch, a switch stand of the yieldable type, a connecting bar operatively connecting the movable switch members together, means operatively connecting said connecting bar with said switch stand, and a guiding and supporting member stationarily located adjacent to where said connectingbar is connected to said movable switch members adapted to guide said connecting bar and to support said movable switch'members and said connecting bar against deflection from their normal positions due to the thrust strains upon said movable switch member and said connecting bar by the wheel flanges of the rolling stock in forcing the switch.

4. Railway switch apparatus comprising main stationary rails, movable switch points, a manually operable switch stand provided with yielding means adapted to yield and permit the switch points to move under strain when the switch is forced by the passage of rolling stock, a connecting bar connecting the switch points together, and a link connecting said connecting bar to said switch stand, and a supporting member located adjacent to the connection of said connecting bar to one Vof the switch points to support said switch point and one end of said connecting bar against deflection out of their normal position by lateral thrust of the wheel flanges against said switch point.

5. Railway switch apparatus comprising main'stationary rails, switch points movable relative to said main rails, a manually operable switch stand provided with yieldable means adapted to yield under strain and permit the switch points to move when thel switch is forced by the passage of rolling stock, a connecting bar connecting the switch points together, a link operatively connecting said connecting bar to said switch stand, and a supporting member attached to one of said main rails and serving to support one end of said connecting bar and onev of said switch points against deflection out of their normal position through a lateral thrust of the wheel flanges against one of said switch points. p

6. Railway switch vapparatus comprising main stationary rails, switch points movable relative to said main rails, a manually operable switch stand provided with yieldable means adapted to yield under strain and mal position through lateral thrust of a permit the switch points to move when the wheel flange against said switch point.

switch is forced by the passage of rolling stock, a connecting bar connecting the switch points together a link operatively connecting said connecting bar to said switch stand, and a supporting member attached to one of said main rails and provided with an eye through which one end of said connecting bar passes, said supporting member serving to support one end of said connecting bar and one of said switch points against defleet-ion out of normal position through a lateral thrust yof the wheel flanges against one of said switch points.

7. Railway switch apparatus comprising main stationary rails, switch points movable relative to said main rails, a connecting bar connecting the switch points together, and adapted to be operatively connected to a switch stand, and a supporting member attached rigidly to one of said main rails and provided with an eye through which one end or" said connecting bar is passed, said supporting member serving to support one end of said connecting bar and one of said switch members against deflection out of their normal position through a lateral thrust of the wheel flanges against one of said switch points.

8. Railway switch apparatus comprising main rai-ls, switch points movable relative to said main rails, a bar attached to one of said switch points, and extending beneath and beyond one of said main rails, and a supporting member attached rigidlyV to said main rail and provided with an eye .through which said bar projects and is movable when said switch points are moved, said supporting member serving to support said bar and the switch point to which it is attached against deflection from normal position through lateral thrust of the wheel flanges against said switch point.

9. Railway switch apparatus comprising main stationary rails, switch points movable relative to said main rails, a bar attached to one of said switch points and extending laterally from and beneath said switch point, and a supporting Amember attached rigidly to one of said main rails with which said barz intel-engages, said bar and support serving to support said switch point against deflection laterally from its normal position though lateral thrust of a wheel flange against said switch point.

10. In combination with a railway switch and a switch stand'having a yieldable member adapted to yield when the switch is forced, a supporting member attached rigidly to one of the main rails and operatively engaged by one of the switch points, said supporting member serving to support said switch point against deflection from nor- In testimony whereof I have afliXed my signature. 

